Published Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Any strike action by prison officers could have raised tensions in jails, but Prisons Minister Paul Goggins said agreement had now been reached between Prison Service management and the Prison Officers Association (POA) on the way forward.
Suicide
Wardens were angry over disciplinary action taken by the NI Prison Service in the wake of the death of a prisoner on suicide watch at Maghaberry jail last year.
Colin Bell, 34, hanged himself last August while some staff were sleeping or watching television.
A subsequent investigation by the NI Prisoners Ombudsman and a joint inspection report by the Criminal Justice Inspection NI and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons were both highly critical of the practices for monitoring vulnerable inmates in the high security facility near Lisburn.
Officers were furious that punishments handed down in the wake of the incident were extended to wardens who were not on duty on the night in question.
Staff were also unhappy about the more general issue of sick leave procedures.
On Wednesday both parties agreed:
- To review the operation of Code of Conduct and Discipline and check that it was properly implemented in relation to a number of specific cases;
- To begin a full consultation on the use of CCTV in prisons;
- To continue with the agreed policy in relation to sick absence;
- To return to normal working on Thursday.
Mr Goggins will hold further discussions in September.